Name kinza

Roll no: 2k20/ECO/67

JALALUDIN MUHAMMAD AKBAR THE GREAT 1556-

Dynasty House of Timur

Father Humayun

Mother Hamida Banu Begum

Religion Sunni Islam, Din-e-Illahi

A strong personality and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to
include much of the Indian subcontinent. His power and influence, however, extended over the
entire subcontinent because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance.
Akbar's reign significantly influenced the course of Indian history. During his rule, the Mughal
Empire tripled in size and wealth. He created a powerful military system and instituted effective
political and social reforms.
To unify the vast Mughal state, Akbar established a centralised system of administration
throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage
and diplomacy. To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, he
adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects.
By 1559, the Mughals had launched a drive to the south into Rajputana and Malwa. However,
Akbar's disputes with his regent, Bairam Khan, temporarily put an end to the expansion The
young emperor, at the age of eighteen, wanted to take a more active part in managing affairs.
Urged on by his foster mother, Maham Anga, and his relatives, Akbar decided to dispense with
the services of Bairam Khan. After yet another dispute at court, Akbar finally dismissed Bairam
Khan in the spring of 1560 and ordered him to leave on Hajj to Mecca.
In 1560, Akbar resumed military operations A Mughal army under the command of his foster
brother, Adham Khan, and a Mughal commander, Pir Muhammad Khan, began the Mughal
conquest of Malwa.
Despite initial success, the campaign proved a disaster from Akbar's point of view. His foster
brother retained all the spoils and followed through with the Central Asian practice of
slaughtering the surrendered garrison, their wives and children, and many Muslim theologians
and Sayyids, who were the descendants of Muhammad Akbar personally rode to Malwa to
confront Adham Khan and relieve him of command. Pir Muhammad Khan was then sent in
pursuit of Baz Bahadur but was beaten back by the alliance of the rulers of Khandesh
and Berar.
Akbar sent another Mughal army to invade and annex the kingdom. When Adham Khan
confronted Akbar following another dispute in 1562, he was struck down by the emperor and
thrown from a terrace into the palace courtyard at Agra. Still alive, Adham Khan was dragged
up and thrown to the courtyard once again by Akbar to ensure his death. In 1564, Mughal forces
began the conquest of Garha, a thinly populated, hilly area in central India that was of interest
to the Mughals because of its herd of wild elephants. The Mughals seized immense wealth, an
uncalculated amount of gold and silver, jewels and 1000 elephants. Kamala Devi, a younger
sister of Durgavati, was sent to the Mughal harem.
Around 1564 is also when there was an assassination attempt on Akbar The attempt was made
when Akbar was returning from a visit to the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin near Delhi, by an
assassin shooting an arrow. The arrow pierced his right shoulder. The assassin was
apprehended and ordered beheaded by the Emperor. The culprit was a slave of Mirza
Sharfuddin, a noble in Akbar’s court whose rebellion had recently been curbed.
In 1567, Akbar moved to reduce the Chittor Fort in Mewar. The fortress-capital of Mewar was
of great strategic importance as it lay on the shortest route from Agra to Gujarat and was also
considered a key to holding the interior parts of Rajputana. Udai Singh retired to the hills of
Mewar, leaving two Rajput warriors, Jaimal and Patta, in charge of the defence of his
capital Chittorgarh fell on February 1568 after a siege of four months. Akbar had the surviving
defenders and 30,000 non-combatants massacred and their heads displayed upon towers erected
throughout the region, in order to demonstrate his authority.
The fall of Chittorgarh was followed up by a Mughal attack on the Ranthambore Fort in 1568.
Ranthambore was held by the Hada Rajputs and reputed to be the most powerful fortress in
India.
In 1572, he moved to occupy Ahmedabad, the capital, and other northern cities, and was
proclaimed the lawful sovereign of Gujarat. By 1573, he had driven out the Mirzas who, after
offering token resistance, fled for refuge in the Deccan. Surat, the commercial capital of the
region and other coastal cities soon capitulated to the Mugha The king, Muzaffar Shah III, was
caught hiding in a corn field; he was pensioned off by Akbar with a small allowance
Following his conquests of Gujarat and Bengal, Akbar was preoccupied with domestic concerns.
He did not leave Fatehpur Sikri on a military campaign until 1581, when Punjab was again
invaded by his brother, Mirza Muhammad Hakim.
In August 1581, Akbar seized Kabul and took up residence at Babur's old citadel. He stayed
there for three weeks, in the absence of his brother, who had fled into the mountains.
A few years later, in 1585, Muhammad Hakim died and Kabul passed into the hands of Akbar
once again. It was officially incorporated as a province of the Mughal Empire.
In 1586, Akbar negotiated a pact with Abdullah Khan in which the Mughals agreed to remain
neutral during the Uzbek invasion of Safavid held Khorasan In return, Abdullah Khan agreed to
refrain from supporting, subsidising, or offering refuge to the Afghan tribes hostile to the
Mughals.
There was only a transient occupation of the two provinces by the Mughals under his
grandson, Shah Jahan, in the mid-17th century Nevertheless, Akbar's stay in the northern
frontiers was highly fruitful. The last of the rebellious Afghan tribes were subdued by 1600.
Jalaluddin, the son of the Roshaniyya movement's founder, Bayazid, was killed in 1601 in a fight
with Mughal troops near Ghazni Mughal rule over today's Afghanistan was finally secure,
particularly after the passing of the Uzbek threat with the death of Abdullah Khan in 1598.
In 1593, Akbar began military operations against the Deccan Sultans who had not submitted to
his authority. He besieged Ahmednagar Fort in 1595, forcing Chand Bibi to cede Berar. A
subsequent revolt forced Akbar to take the fort in August 1600. Akbar occupied Burhanpur and
besieged Asirgarh Fort in 1599, and took it on 17 January 1601, when Miran Bahadur Shah
refused to submit Khandesh. Akbar then established the Subahs of Ahmadnagar, Berar and
Khandesh under Prince Daniyal. "By the time of his death in 1605, Akbar controlled a broad
sweep of territory from the Bay of Bengal to Qandahar and Badakshan. He touched the western
sea in Sind and at Surat and was well astride central India."
Akbar was a warrior, emperor, general, animal trainer (reputedly keeping thousands of hunting
cheetahs during his reign and training many himself), and theologian. Believed to be dyslexic,
he was read to everyday and had a remarkable memory.
Akbar was said to have been a wise emperor and a sound judge of character. His son and heir,
Jahangir, wrote effusive praise of Akbar's character in his memoirs, and dozens of anecdotes to
illustrate his virtues. According to Jahangir, Akbar was "of the hue of wheat; his eyes and
eyebrows were black and his complexion rather dark than fair". Antoni de Montserrat,
the Catalan Jesuit who visited his court described him as follows:
"One could easily recognize even at first glance that he is King. He has broad shoulders,
somewhat bandy legs well-suited for horsemanship, and a light brown complexion. He carries
his head bent towards the right shoulder. His forehead is broad and open, his eyes so bright and
flashing that they seem like a sea shimmering in the sunlight. His eyelashes are very long. His
eyebrows are not strongly marked. His nose is straight and small though not insignificant. His
nostrils are widely open as though in derision. Between the left nostril and the upper lip there is
a mole. He shaves his beard but wears a moustache. He limps in his left leg though he has never
received an injury there.
Akbar was not tall but powerfully built and very agile. He was also noted for various acts of
courage.

He was notable for his command in battle, and, "like Alexander of Macedon, was always ready
to risk his life, regardless of political consequences".
Akbar's first wife and chief consort was his cousin, Princess Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, the only
daughter of his paternal uncle, Prince Hindal Mirza. and his wife Sultanam Begum. In 1551,
Hindal Mirza died fighting valorously in a battle against Kamran Mirza's forces. Upon hearing
the news of his brother's death, Humayun was overwhelmed with grief. Out of affection to the
memory of his brother, Humayun betrothed Hindal's nine-year-old daughter Ruqaiya to his son
Akbar. Their betrothal took place in Kabul, shortly after Akbar's first appointment as a viceroy
in the province of Ghazni. Humayun conferred on the imperial couple, all the wealth, army, and
adherents of Hindal and Ghazni which one of Hindal's jagir was given to his nephew, Akbar,
who was appointed as its viceroy and was also given the command of his uncle's army. Akbar's
marriage with Ruqaiya was solemnized near Jalandhar, Punjab, when both of them were 14-
years-old. Childless herself, she adopted Akbar's favorite grandson, Prince Khurram (the future
emperor Shah Jahan). She died on 19 January 1626.
His second wife was the daughter of Abdullah Khan Mughal. The marriage took place in 1557
during the siege of Mankot. Bairam Khan did not approve of this marriage, for Abdullah's sister
was married to Akbar's uncle, Prince Kamran Mirza, and so he regarded Abdullah as a partisan
of Kamran. He opposed the match until Nasir-al-mulk made him understand that opposition in
such matters was unacceptable. Nasir-al-mulk arranged an assemblage of pleasure and banquet
of joy, and a royal feast was provided.
His third wife was his cousin, Salima Sultan Begum. the daughter of Nur-ud-din Muhammad
Mirza and his wife Gulrukh Begum also known as Gulrang, the daughter of Emperor Babur.
She was at first betrothed to Bairam Khan by Humayun. After Bairam Khan's death in 1561,
Akbar married her himself the same year. She died childless on 2 January 1613.
In 1562, he married the daughter of Raja Bharmal, ruler of Amer. The marriage took place
when Akbar was on his way back from Ajmer after offering prayers to the tomb of Moinuddin
Chishti. Bharmal had conveyed to Akbar that he was being harassed by his brother-in-law
Sharif-ud-din Mirza (the Mughal hakim of Mewat). Akbar insisted that Bharmal should submit
to him personally, it was also suggested that his daughter should be married to him as a sign of
complete submission. She was entitled Mariam-uz-Zamani after giving birth to Akbar's eldest
surviving son, Prince Salim (the future emperor Jahangir). She died on 19 May 1623.
Another of his wives was Bhakkari Begum, the daughter of Sultan Mahmud of Bhakkar. On 2
July 1572, Akbar's envoy I'timad Khan reached Mahmud's court to escort his daughter to Akbar.
I'timad Khan brought with him for Sultan Mahmud an elegant dress of honour, a bejewelled
scimitar-belt, a horse with a saddle and reins and four elephants. Mahmud celebrated the
occasion by holding extravagant feasts for fifteen days. On the day of wedding, the festivities
reached their zenith and the ulema, saints and nobles were adequately honoured with rewards.
Mahmud offered 30,000 rupees in cash and kind to I'timad Khan and farewelled his daughter
with a grand dowry and an impressive entourage. She came to Ajmer and waited upon Akbar.
The gifts of Sultan Mahmud, carried by the delegation were presented to the ladies of the
imperial harem.
His ninth wife was Qasima Banu Begum, the daughter of Arab Shah. The marriage took place in
1575. A great feast was given, and the high officers, and other pillars of the state were
present. In 1577, the Rajah of Dungarpur State petitioned a request that his daughter might be
married to Akbar. Akbar had regard to his loyalty and granted his request. Rai Loukaran and
Rajah Birbar, servants of the Rajah were sent from Dihalpur to do the honour of conveying his
daughter. The two delivered the lady at Akbar's court where the marriage took place on 12 July
1577.
His eleventh wife was Bibi Daulat Shad. She was the mother of Princess Shakr-un-Nissa Begum,
and Princess Aram Banu Begum. born on 2 January 1585. His next wife was the daughter of
Shams Chak, a Kashmiri. The marriage took place on 3 November 1592. Shams belonged to the
great men of the country, and had long cherished this wish. In 1593, he married the daughter of
Qazi Isa, and the cousin of Najib Khan. Najib told Akbar that his uncle had made his daughter a
present for him. Akbar accepted his representation and on 3 July 1593 he visited Najib Khan's
house and married Qazi Isa's daughter.

On 3 October 1605, Akbar fell ill with an attack of dysentery from which he never recovered. He
is believed to have died on 27 October 1605, after which his body was buried at his
mausoleum in Sikandra, Agra.

THE - END